American Indians
-- US Presidents in Their Own Words
The following quotes about American
Indians are from various presidents
since President George Washington. Below
is a selection from history.

"Indian's and wolves are both beasts of prey, tho' they
differ in shape."

"If ever we are constrained to lift the hatchet against any tribe, we
will never lay it down till that tribe is exterminated, or
driven beyond the Mississippi… in war, they will kill some
of us; we shall destroy them all."

"My
original convictions upon
this subject have been
confirmed by the course of
events for several years,
and experience is every day
adding to their strength.
That those tribes cannot
exist surrounded by our
settlements and in continual
contact with our citizens is
certain. They have neither
the intelligence, the
industry, the moral habits,
nor the desire of
improvement which are
essential to any favorable
change in their condition.
Established in the midst of
another and a superior race,
and without appreciating the
causes of their inferiority
or seeking to control them,
they must necessarily yield
to the force of
circumstances and ere long
disappear."

"No state can achieve
proper culture,
civilization, and progress
... as long as Indians are
permitted to remain."

"Ordered that of the Indians and Half-breeds sentenced to be hanged by
the military commission, composed of Colonel Crooks, Lt.
Colonel Marshall, Captain Grant, Captain Bailey, and
Lieutenant Olin, and lately sitting in Minnesota, you cause
to be executed on Friday the nineteenth day of December,
instant, the following names, to wit… "

"I don't go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead
Indians, but I believe nine out of ten are, and I shouldn't
like to inquire too closely into the case of the tenth."

"All of our people all over the country - except the pure blooded
Indians - are immigrants or descendants of immigrants,
including even those who came over here on the Mayflower."

"The United States, which would live on Christian principles with all
of the peoples of the world, cannot omit a fair deal for its
own Indian citizens."

"There has been a vigorous acceleration of health, resource and
education programs designed to advance the role of the
American Indian in our society. Last Fall, for example, 91
percent of the Indian children between the ages of 6 and 18
on reservations were enrolled in school. This is a rise of
12 percent since 1953."

"For a subject worked and reworked so often in novels, motion
pictures, and television, American Indians remain probably
the least understood and most misunderstood Americans of us
all."

"The American Indian, once proud and free, is torn now between White
and tribal values; between the politics and language of the
White man and his own historic culture. His problems,
sharpened by years of defeat and exploitation, neglect and
inadequate effort, will take many years to overcome."

"What we have done with the American Indian is its way as bad as what
we imposed on the Negroes. We took a proud and independent
race and virtually destroyed them. We have to find ways to
bring them back into decent lives in this country."

"I am committed to furthering the self-determination of Indian
communities but without terminating the special relationship
between the Federal Government and the Indian people. I am
strongly opposed to termination. Self-determination means
that you can decide the nature of your tribe's relationship
with the Federal Government within the framework of the
Self-Determination Act, which I signed in January of 1975."

"It is the fundamental right of every American, as guaranteed by the
first amendment of the Constitution, to worship as he or she
pleases… This legislation sets forth the policy of the
United States to protect and preserve the inherent right of
American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiian people
to believe, express, and exercise their traditional
religions."

"Let me tell you just a little something about the American Indian in
our land. We have provided millions of acres of land for
what are called preservations - or reservations, I should
say. They, from the beginning, announced that they wanted to
maintain their way of life, as they had always lived there
in the desert and the plains and so forth. And we set up
these reservations so they could, and have a Bureau of
Indian Affairs to help take care of them. At the same time,
we provide education for them - schools on the reservations.
And they're free also to leave the reservations and be
American citizens among the rest of us, and many do. Some
still prefer, however, that way - that early way of life.
And we've done everything we can to meet their demands as to
how they want to live. Maybe we made a mistake. Maybe we
should not have humored them in that wanting to stay in that
kind of primitive lifestyle. Maybe we should have said, no,
come join us; be citizens along with the rest of us."

"This government to
government relationship is
the result of sovereign and
independent tribal
governments being
incorporated into the fabric
of our Nation, of Indian
tribes becoming what our
courts have come to refer to
as quasi-sovereign domestic
dependent nations. Over the
years the relationship has
flourished, grown, and
evolved into a vibrant
partnership in which over
500 tribal governments stand
shoulder to shoulder with
the other governmental units
that form our Republic."

"Let us rededicate ourselves to the principle that all Americans have
the tools to make the most of their God-given potential. For
Indian tribes and tribal members, this means that the
authority of tribal governments must be accorded the respect
and support to which they are entitled under the law. It
means that American Indian children and youth must be
provided a solid education and the opportunity to go on to
college. It means that more must be done to stimulate tribal
economies, create jobs, and increase economic
opportunities."

"We
also recommit to supporting
tribal self-determination,
security, and prosperity for
all Native Americans. While
we cannot erase the scourges
or broken promises of our
past, we will move ahead
together in writing a new,
brighter chapter in our
joint history."

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